Protection
by homesweethomicide13
Summary: A closer look on the night the Shadow Lord took over, from Barda's point of view. Barda promises to protect his mother, but who is doing the protecting? Oneshot for the moment


Title: Protection

Author: homesweethomicide13

Pairing: None

Rating: T

Warnings: Uhh… mild violence? Angst?

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters

Summary: A closer look on the night the Shadow Lord took over, from Barda's point of view. Barda promises to protect his mother, but who is doing the protecting?

Author's Note: I've seen many pieces like this one, but usually always from Jarred / Endon's point of view. So, I decided to do one from Barda's point of view.

* * *

Protection

* * *

Barda stood straight and tall, arms behind his back. He was positioned outside a set of doors that led into the feasting hall, where the King was celebrating his seventh year of reign over Deltora. The only reason for his sudden straight posture was the guard walking past him. He was one of Barda's superior, and he knew that one hair out of place would not go unnoticed. Barda's fellow guard, positioned the other side of the doors, was in a similar position. The moment the superior had turned the corner, both young men returned to their previous state – 'at ease' as the chief would call it. Barda turned to his fellow and grinned. 

"That was close, aye?" He said to him. The guard to his right was also one of his friends outside of the job. His name was Jordan, and had known Barda since the two of them were young boys.

"Definitely. A second later and we'd be up to see the Chief." Jordan agreed. "Oh – Barda, quick. Here he comes!" Barda quickly straightened his posture and glanced sideways at Jordan, who was watching the sturdy Chief of the guards walking towards them. He paused in between them and grinned.

"At ease, men." He commanded. "Barda, your mother requests to see you."

"Oh?" Barda was surprised. His mother never bothered him while he was working.

"Yes. She said it was important. I'll have a substitute down in a moment, Jordan. Off you go Barda." He saluted quickly to his Chief, and then took off towards his home in the palace. _What could she possibly want?_ He entered his home cautiously, and the moment the door was closed, his mother appeared out of nowhere and threw her arms around him.

"You're safe. You're safe." She whispered into his shoulder. Barda frowned, took his mother by her shoulders and gently pulled her away from him.

"Of course I am, mother. What's wrong?" He was concerned now. His mother was a tower of strength in any situation – it was something he had picked up from her. To see her so pale and anxious frightened him.

"Oh, Barda… I am sorry for dragging you away from your work, but I fear… I fear this is rather important." She paused and looked up at her rapidly growing son. She could barely believe that he was a man now. "I was… working in my sewing room, fixing one of Endon's garments that he had managed to tear and… oh, it still scares me Barda."

"Calm down, mother. Tell me what happened." He said quietly, his hands still upon her shoulders.

"There must have been two people outside, and they probably didn't know I was in that room, because… they started talking and… they said things that scared me. There are enemies in the palace, Barda, and a great evil is going to strike on this night." The words hit Barda forcefully, and his hands tightened on his mother's shoulders without him realizing. "I think… I think they knew I had overhead them, because it suddenly went quiet, and one came into the room, though I had hidden just in time." She looked up at him again, her eyes fearful. "I thought… I just thought that maybe they'd targeted you or something, I was so afraid!" Barda's face eased into a smile.

"Mother, do not fear. I am not called Barda the Bear for nothing, as well you should know!" He pulled her to him and embraced the shaking woman. "I will protect you, mother. No matter what happens, I shall always protect you." He spoke the last sentence in a whisper.

"Promise me something, Barda." She said, pulling back. "You have to promise, and do not go back on that promise, for your own safety." Frowning, Barda nodded. "I… I just want you to do this one thing for me, should the worst happen."

"What are you talking about?"

"Barda, those men probably knew I was there, who I was. They might come looking for me and… if anything happens to me, Barda, I want you to run."

"Run?" Barda sounded deeply insulted.

"I know it is not in your nature to run away, my son, but if I am killed, they will come for you, too. You are the only other that knows of what I heard. And I could not go on, even after death, knowing that I had killed my son, my only son, because he swore to avenge me." She placed her hands on either side of his face and stared deep into his eyes, so like her own. "Promise me you will not stay to avenge me. Promise me you will run, and find somewhere safe to hide. I do not want to lose my only son." Min held back her gasp of surprise when she saw the tears in Barda's eyes. "Please, remember this Barda. Adin was a strong man, but even he knew when the time was right to run, and go into hiding."

"I promise, mother. But you will not be killed, I shall protect you with everything I have, and nothing is going to stop me." He growled, and Min could not help but think how much he resembled his father. "Even if I get killed in the process, I shall not let you down."

"Oh Barda… your father would be so proud of you." She whispered, giving him one final hug.

"Mother, you have to tell the King. Endon must know of what you heard!" He told her, straightening up and smoothing out the pale blue jacket he was wearing. "Even if he doesn't believe you, he has to be alerted."

"I will tell him, Barda." She was silent for a moment. "I am going to miss you, my son."

"You will have no need to miss me, mother, for I am not going anywhere." But Min just smiled sadly at him, and told him to go back to work. He kissed her cheek and promised he would return the second his shift was over, before leaving to resume his duty outside the doors. Min too, left their home, to find Endon before he went down to the feast.

* * *

It was almost time for him to go home, and Barda was anxious to find his mother. Jordan watched his friend with slight amusement. He knew just how close the son was with the mother, and knew that the slightest thing would make the other worry. When Barda was younger, all he would have to do to make Min worry was climb a tree, or sit upon one of the railings on a higher floor. He remembered the days when Barda was carefree and dangerous – the boy had been known to jump from the stable roof, or to attempt to slide down the handrail of the three-part flight of stairs without falling off. Not much had changed, but now Barda had matured considerably, and rarely did foolish things. 

"Just go Barda, if you're worried about her, the Chief will understand." It was true. Their chief knew Min from old, and was partially fond of her untameable son.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'll cover for you, buddy." Barda grinned and high-fived his friend before running off into the palace. Jordan watched him go with a smile, and almost laughed when Barda decided to take a short cut and leapt from the floor they were on to the floor below, using the railing to aid him. "Some things never change."

Barda had a feeling of dread that was sitting in the pit of his stomach, making him feel ill and dizzy. Something told him that there was something not right. It was as he reached the stairs that would lead down to the place he called home when he realized just what wasn't right. There, lying at the bottom, was his mother. Not thinking about anything but her still, pale form, he leapt down the stairs and landed heavily beside her.

"M-mother?" He whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder and turning her onto her back. "Oh please no…"

"B-Barda?" Her voice was feeble and quiet, but she was alive. She opened her eyes weakly and stared up at him. Her eyes filled with horror. "No! You must run, Barda! Run! Before they get you too!" Her eyes closed again. "I'm sorry, sweetheart." _Sweetheart._ How long had it been since she had last called him that? Barda's eyes filled with furious tears as he watched his mother slowly slip into death. His hand went to his sword automatically, and thoughts of revenge flashed through his mind, but before he could act upon them, he heard a cold voice.

"…this way, I heard voices. I think it's that wretched woman's brat." Barda stiffened. They were talking about _him_. Kissing his mother's hand quickly, he muttered a distressed apology to the woman, and ran up the stairs, taking them four at a time.

"Time to start taking risks again Barda." He said to himself. He took to the stairs he had avoided by jumping from the floor above, and ran up those too, trying to get as far away from the scene as possible. He ran right into Jordan, who was just making his way down from where they had been posted. His shift was over.

"Barda! Is your mother okay?" He asked cheerily, surprised to see him again. But Jordan's smile faded as he noticed Barda's watery eyes and pale face. "What's wrong?"

"She… she's dead."

"What?" Jordan exclaimed, unbelieving.

"She's dead, and I'm next." He grabbed Jordan by the shoulders. "Can you help me get out of here? I have to run… I promised her…"

"Go. I'll hold them off. If anyone comes looking for you, I'll say you went a different way." Jordan said to him. Barda nodded.

"Thank you Jordan. You're a true friend." He went to walk past, but Jordan stopped him.

"Will I ever see you again Barda?" He asked quietly, not wanting to lose his best friend.

"Time will tell Jordan. Thank you for everything you've done for me in the past. I am going to miss having you around." Barda smiled.

"Me too, old bear. Now go – otherwise this will have been a waste of time!" Jordan once again watched his old friend run off, but this time he wasn't smiling.

Barda came to a halt at the end of a hallway and panicked. The hallway to his left would take him back round in a circle, but the hallway to his right would only lead him towards the Guards Mess Hall, which was most likely the first place his mother's killers would look for him. The only other option was to go back and find a different route to go. Unless… Barda eyed the window ahead of him curiously. It seemed familiar to him, and he edged closer. He peered out, and almost grinned when he saw a familiar tree growing just outside.

"Of course! I used to use this tree to escape the guards chasing me when I was a boy!" He slid open the window and climbed into the boughs of the tree. "Right. Now to get off this hill." He jumped down from the tree, landing expertly on the grass beneath it. He ran towards the double gates that would get him away from the palace. He got to the gates and the two guards eyed him cautiously.

"What are you doing here Barda? I thought you were guarding the feast." One of them said to him. Barda panicked. Although he knew them, there was little chance they'd just let him out. What was he going to say?

"I, uh… Endon, I mean, King Endon, asked me to retrieve something from the marketplace tonight. Something for the feast, he told me." He lied. His inner voice raged at him. _Come ON Barda, you can do better than that! You used to be an expert liar, what happened?_ He ignored the voice and prayed that they would believe his lie.

"The King asked you himself?" The first guard asked sceptically. But before Barda could reply, the second guard spoke up.

"Most likely asked him through his mother. She's his nursemaid, remember?" Barda praised his mother for being so well-known. "Go on through Barda." Barda thanked them, and told them he wouldn't be back for some time. As he passed through the second set of gates, he almost laughed. _I won't be back at all._ As the gates closed behind him, Barda dived into the shadows beside the long winding path down the hill. On the other side of the huge wall, he could hear raised voices. Suddenly realizing the urge to get away from the palace, he went down the hill in the quickest way he knew – sliding. He cared nothing for the dirt and grime his normally spotless uniform was acquiring from his journey down the hill. The only thing that mattered was getting away from that cursed palace.

Of course, it was his only home. He had nowhere else to go. Was he just going to roam the streets aimlessly? He couldn't do that! His uniform would be noticed and someone was bound to send a note to the King about stray palace guards. Barda had by now reached the bottom of the hill and he stood up. Instantly he was frozen to the spot. Though it was becoming dark very fast, he could see the state of the city he had never known until now. Spending his life inside the palace, he had never been into the city around it. Did the King know about his beloved city? The buildings were close to falling down, some having done so already. The feeble attempts at crops and vegetables showed just how poor the city was. A few people were still about, and they were thin and weak. They were starving. How could the King have been deceived? Barda turned back to the palace to glare at the foolish people inside, and gasped. A thin mist was covering the topmost part of the palace, just above the wall. And suddenly Barda knew. It wasn't that Endon didn't care about the state of his people. He just didn't know. To him, the city was beautiful, alive and the people were the same. He was being fed lies. He wondered how many of the Kings and Queens before him had been fed the same lies.

Barda turned his attention once again to where he was going. Was there anywhere he could hide? He knew nothing about the city. He would not know where was safe. A sentence his mother had said to him earlier that day suddenly came back to him.

"_Please, remember this Barda. Adin was a strong man, but even he knew when the time was right to run, and go into hiding."_

Adin! Of course! The fabled blacksmith who had saved the Shadow Lord from Deltora all those years ago! He would go to the forge! As he began making his way through the city – diving into deep shadows whenever a stray man or woman, or starving child, would walk by, oblivious to the guard hiding from them, and oblivious to the evil that was now threatening their land. As he ran, Barda's chest tightened as he realized that, although he had promised to protect his mother, she had been protecting him all along. She knew from the moment she died, he would seek revenge. She knew that this would only get him killed. She told him where to hide. She was protecting him, even in death. He blinked back unshed tears and ran faster, blindly. He had no idea where the forge was, but he knew that he would get there. His mother would make sure of that.

* * *

Barda awoke with a cramp in his back and a pounding headache. He uncurled himself from behind the table he had hid behind, and stretched, wincing as his back cracked in several places. He had eventually reached the forge, and had been so exhausted that he had just collapsed in the darkness of the building. He dared not venture into the cottage behind, to save himself from scaring whoever lived there. However, as he came to his senses, he could hear voices. They were not coming from the cottage, but from outside. Cautiously, he ventured outside the forge, and saw four figures huddling at the forge gates. There were two men, and two women, each heavily pregnant. A gasp from one of the women told Barda that he had been seen, and he cursed himself for being so stupid. One of the men approached him, but before Barda could explain himself, he was greeted with a blow that knocked him unconscious once again.

* * *

His mother was standing in front of him, once again making sure he would run away instead of waiting to fight and get revenge. He repeated his words from earlier, ensuring her that he would protect her. But it was no use. He watched her die in front of him, and no matter what he did, nothing could stop it. He cried out in frustration and despair as she died before his eyes. And then, suddenly, he was awake.

* * *

He reached for his sword, but found that he had been disarmed. He turned sharply and saw a man and a woman watching him. He clenched his fists, ready to fight, but stopped when he saw that they meant him no harm. Both were smiling sadly. He frowned in confusion, and realized that the couple were probably the people who lived in the forge, and judging from the size of the woman's stomach, she was pregnant. He realized that they were two of the people outside the forge. 

"Do not fear, Barda." The man said quietly. Barda was startled.

"How do you know my name?" He demanded.

"While you were out, you rambled aloud of your mother. Your mother was Min, was she not?" The man asked. Barda nodded slowly. "My name is… Jarred, and this is my wife Anna. I used to live in the palace." Barda struggled to remember the name. "I was Endon's friend, before I was accused of being a traitor. I came here, and became the blacksmith, and married Anna." Jarred! Of course! Min had told him of Jarred.

"What was said about Jarred is not true, Barda." Anna put in. "He was trying to tell Endon that he had to wear the Belt at all times, to stop attacks such as this one." She spoke with sorrow weighing down her voice.

"I know." Barda whispered. "My mother… she didn't believe what was said about you, Jarred. She knew you were trying to help your friend. She said Endon did not believe it, either. He only doubted you because… because he was afraid at the time. She told me many things about you." Memories of his mother came back to him, but he forced them away.

Barda soon learnt that Jarred and Anna had been helping the King and Queen to escape, and how in time, they were planning to restore the Belt. Jarred asked Barda if he would help them, and Barda agreed willingly.

* * *

It had been three years since the Shadow Lord had overtaken Deltora. Barda woke from his sleep and glanced out of the small window. He had been living with Jarred and Anna in the forge ever since that fateful night. The sun was gleaming golden down upon the land, and Barda smiled. This meant that his new, young friend would want to drag him outside again. Barda got up and dressed quickly, making his way to the kitchen. Jarred was already working in the forge, but Anna was still in the kitchen. And sitting at the small table was the delightful bundle that kept Barda amused every day. 

"Barda! You 'wake!" The young boy grinned and reached out for him, and Barda gladly picked up the small child and held him tightly.

"Leif, really, I'm sure Barda doesn't appreciate you yelling at him every morning." Anna laughed, watching them both.

"It's fine Anna, really. It makes me feel human." Barda grinned back. He put Leif down, and the three year old ran off to the forge to watch his father working. Anna watched Barda sit down and sigh. "This is the time, isn't it?" He asked her. "Time for me to stop sleeping in the forge, and to start playing the part of the beggar."

"We will make it easier for you, Barda. And during the winter, when the nights are long and cold, you are welcome to stay in the cottage with us."

But Barda knew that it would be a long time before he'd feel the warmth of a family once again.


End file.
